Alibaug was founded in the 17th century by Sarkhel Kanhoji Angre, who was a naval chief of Shivaji's kingdom. Set in the lap of nature, Alibaug is a coastal town of India, famous for its clean waters, sandy beaches and fresh air. It makes a great escapade for the Mumbaikars, owing to its close proximity to Mumbai. Dotted with serene beaches, this exotic town is one of few places that boast of stunning coastline fringed with coconut trees. Here, you can glimpse farm houses of Mumbai's well-heeled people, beside the charming village houses.

Alibaug is home to a lot of forts, churches, synagogues and the fascinating tower of St. Barbara. The weather is pleasant on most days due to high density of trees all around. Monsoon is very heavy and thus, ferries and catamarans are not operational from mid-June to late September. However, the rains, greenery, sightseeing, peace and more over, direct signal for your cell phones makes Alibaug a very attractive monsoon getaway.

Alibaug Beach and Kolaba Fort

The beach is about a 3-4 minute walk from the resort. From the main beach, the Kolaba Fort is accessible only during low tide through a 1 km long land strip. Tanga is also available to reach the fort. This Fort was constructed by Shivaji Maharaj and is located 2 km inside the sea.
The fort is 300 years old and consists of a sweet water well in the middle. A Ganesha temple was built in front of this well in 1759. There are many temples and fortifications along guns which face the sea. On one of the 17 bastions, two cannons in intact condition can be seen. Carvings of tigers, peacocks, and elephants on the entrance arch can be seen. Near the gate there are shrines of Mahishasura and Padmavathi and other gods along with a fort deity. A token entry fee for the visitors is charged by the Archaeological Survey of India

Akshi Beach
The Akshi Beach is a beautiful white sand beach. Plenty of casurina (suru) trees can be seen along the coast. The water is very clean and safe for swimming. The beach is also a favorite among the birdwatchers and nature lovers.
The hamlet of Akshi is just 5 km away from Alibaug. The village is full of fishermen and it is not crowded at all. The beach at Akshi is a favourite tourist spot. One could simply relax on the clear beaches or step inside the warm and unruffled Arabian Sea

Shiva Temple at Kankeshwar

This very famous Shiv temple is on a 900 ft. high hill. Its' a 5000 ft. long climb on well paved stairs, which takes around one hour. Landmarks along the route are tombs of MohanGiri and Balgiri, Nagoba Rest, Jambhali Plateau, God's stair, Gaymandi etc. The fatigue of the uphill climb vanishes the moment one enters the scenic temple premises . It comprises of various small temples of Sri Paleshwar, Sri Hanuman, Sri Balram Krishna and Lord Shiv. The special attraction is an ancient sweet water tank enclosed in traditional structure of black stone. The ancient temple was built by Raja Ramdeorai yadav. The height of the Shiv temple is 54 ft. The front gate has a Lion sculpture on both sides with traditional lamp-pillar(deepmaal) in front. The 4 ft. long 'Pindi' of Lord Shiv is Silver plated. The premises also include Nagaar-khana, Bheem Kunda, a garden for flowers to be offered to the Lord, Sri Ram Ganesh temple and Gomukha.

Nagaon Beach
Around seven km away from Alibaug is the unique Nagaon beach. It is famous for coconuts and betel nuts. The visitors are attracted by the loving area of the tiding Arabian sea. The area is not only charming but also breathtaking. The beach is covered with casurina (suru) trees.

A famous song ‘Sagar Kinare Dil Ye Pukare’ from the film Sagar was shot on this beach. The description in the song fits the beauty of the place.

Kihim Beach

About 9 kms from Alibag, this is one of the most famous beaches in the area. Kihim is famous for its silky sand and clean water.

Chaul (Temple of Datta)
18 kms from Alibaug on Alibaug-Revdanda road, this is another very famous hill shrine. One has to climb around 700 stairs to reach this shrine. Important landmarks are Swami Samartha Mutt, Sadhana Kutir, HareRam retiring room, Hare Ram Baba Dhuni Mandir, Audumbar Mutt, Mai Jankibai Mutt.

Mandwa Beach Jetty

Mandawa is a superb and less trodden beach. When the sky is clear the enchanting view across the bay till the Gateway of India cannot be expressed in words. It is a joy to the mind and a feast to the eyes. The village is charming and has a beauty of its own. The beautiful groves of coconut palms are also very pretty.

Rewas Jetty
Rewas Jetty is 6 km from Kihim. The jetty is a weekend retreat. The rich and the famous have their bunglows along the beach.
The proximity to the city is the major asset of the beaches. Tourists crowd along these beaches in large numbers. When one is at the jetty and stands facing the beach Uran can be sighted

Birla Temple
About 20 kms from Alibag, this temple is one of the must visit places. This temple is on a hill top and was built by the Vikram Ispat Company. The temple is built using pure white marble and is noticable from a distance. Around the temple, the landscape is gardened. A walk in this garden is a refreshing experience. The temple is open for visit from 6:00 am to 11:00 am and from 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm.

Karnala Bird Sanctuary
Karnala Bird Sanctuary is located at the bottom of the Karnala fort, which lies between Pen and Panvel. Rich with natural habitats the sanctuary abounds in bird life with various kinds of resident and migrant birds.

Murud Beach Janjira Fort

Murud beach is surrounded on three sides by mountains. The water here is clear blue and the sand is slivery white. The sunset from this beach is also fabulous.
This overwhelming guardian of the Siddi naval prowess over the Arabian sea, can be approached in sail boats, which leave from Rajpuri jetty, 5 kms from Murud. As we land at the front gate of the fort, two formidable bastions can be seen guarding the huge gate. Here is a sculpture in stone depicting a Lion that has overpowered six elephants. The main gate is followed by another gate where 3 lungers/anchors are clearly visible in front of shrine of 5 Peers(peerpanchayatan). Opposite that is a big sweet water tank. Around that is the Khasha Siddi Masjid and ruins of houses. Next comes Surul Khan's mansion(wada). In the backyard, remnants of Hindu sculptures are visible. During archaeological excavations in 1985, temple ruins and a 'Shivaling' was found. On the background, fortified bulwarks with guns positioned, are unmistakable. There are 24 bastions in all, having their separate names. Special attraction of this fort is 3 Gigantic Cannons named Kalalbangdi, Chavri and Landa Kasam. Another gate to the west is sea- facing,called'Darya Darwaza'.

Ancient Ganesh Temple at Pali

Named after Ballal, son of Kalyan Shreshthi, from whose `tapasya', Ganesh appeared at pali. The deity is known as Ballaleshwar. Earlier the deity was placed in a wooden temple. The wooden temple was so constructed that the rays of the sun would fall directly on the deity from the two equinoxes of the temple. The temple was reconstructed in 1770 by Morobadada Phadanvis.
The Ganesh idol in the temple is 3 ft. high. Behind the temple, another temple of Ganesh, known as Dhundi Vinayak is situated. The Peshwas had installed the big bell, in the temple which is of Portuguese make. The shining diamonds are embedded in the eyes and naval of the diety. The background is of silver where one finds Riddhi and Siddhi waving chamaras. Temple complex has a big bell made in Europe. After defeating portuguese in Vasai and Sasthi, Chimaji Appa brought these bells and offered them at different Ashtavinayak places.
Nearby Pali is Sudhagad which is famous for its hot springs.